Vehicles of the combination construction type, multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), off-road vehicles, sport utility vehicles, sport activity vehicles or the like, often have displaceable and/or foldable rear seats in order to be able to increase the luggage space. In addition, these vehicles normally have a luggage space cover which in the rearmost position of the rear seats in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, when viewed in the travel direction, adjoins the rear side of the rear seat backrest. Between the backrest and the front edge of the luggage space cover there typically exists a gap which is more or less wide depending on the position of the rear seat backrest in the longitudinal vehicle direction. Already for reasons of break-in protection, there is a need to be able to close this gap in a non-permeable manner.
Covers are generally known which are secured both to the rear seat backrest and to a luggage space cover. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,016,758 discloses a passenger space cover which has a housing in which a first cover is arranged with a covering plate. The first cover can be selectively pulled from an inner space of the housing, in order to engage in a rear seat. Furthermore, the passenger space cover has a second cover which is arranged in the housing and which can be selectively pulled out of the inner space of the housing with respect to the first cover. A seat backrest of the rear seat has a seat plate which engages in the covering plate of the first cover when the seat backrest is arranged in an upright position.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,465,079 relates to the securing of a cover to a rear seat backrest. When the rear seat backrest is adjusted, the cover may also be accordingly arranged in an adjusted position.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,896,418 discloses a cover for a gap behind at least one rear seat backrest in a motor vehicle which is provided between it and a luggage space cover in the transverse direction of the vehicle, wherein the cover has at least one covering flap which is fixed in position on a housing of the luggage space cover and which is pivotably supported about a hinge and which is in abutment with the rear seat backrest in a pretensioned state in a position for use, wherein in an upper region and, when viewed in the travel direction, front region of the housing of the luggage space cover an integrated receiving member is provided for the hinge of the covering flap. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0022483 also generally discloses a vehicle cover.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0000984 discloses a mat which can be rolled up and unrolled and which, as a result of two bistable resilient strips which extend along the longitudinal edges is intended to be able to be rolled up and unrolled more easily. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0089974 discloses a mobile device which is carried on the member and in which a bistable spring is used to be able to move the device from a curved, closed state into a flat, open state.
The publication of G. Chen of Dec. 6-8, 2011 entitled “Design of Compliant Bistable Mechanism for Rear Trunk Lid of Cars,” published in Springer Verlag, Heidelberg discloses the use of a bistable resilient structure in the mechanism of a trunk space cover. The publication of Arup Maji et al. from January 2009 entitled “Actuation of Neutrally Stable Composite Tape-Springs with Shape Memory Alloy” published in Soc. for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, 1161 Parkview Drive, Covina, Calif. 91724-3748, USA discloses the production of bistable flat springs using shape-memory alloys and carbon fibers. The above-mentioned patents and references are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
It would be desirable to provide for a cover for a gap behind a rear seat backrest in a vehicle that offers improvement. It would be particularly desirable to provide a cover for a gap of a vehicle, which gap is provided between a rear seat backrest of the vehicle and a luggage space cover of the vehicle, which cover extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle and is constructed in a structurally simple manner and is comparatively simple to handle.